Ground opener with floating opener body

ABSTRACT

A ground-opening apparatus for an agricultural implement. The ground-opening apparatus comprises an opening disc for excavating a furrow in the ground, and a support assembly securing the opening disc to the agricultural implement. The support assembly comprises an upper bar, a lower bar, a forward bar, and a rearward bar. The upper bar and the lower bar extend generally in parallel relationship. The lower bar and the rearward bar are joined at a lower, rearward joint. A rotational axis of the opening disc extends through the lower, rearward joint of the support assembly.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This non-provisional patent application claims priority benefit, withregard to all common subject matter, of earlier-filed U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 62/848,261, filed May 15, 2019, and entitled“GROUND OPENER WITH FLOATING OPENER BODY.” The above-identifiedearlier-filed provisional patent application is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety into the present non-provisional patentapplication.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention are directed generally to groundopeners for a seeding machine. More particularly, embodiments of thepresent invention relate to a support assembly that effectively supportsa ground opener during operation. In addition, certain embodiments ofthe present invention relate to a depth-adjustment assembly forsimultaneously adjusting operating depths of a plurality of groundopeners of a seeding machine.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Certain agricultural implements, such as disc drills, excavate furrowsor trenches in the ground soil so that agricultural products (e.g., seedor fertilizer) can be deposited down into the furrows. Commonly, a discdrill will have a plurality of ground openers attached to a frame of thedisc drill. Such a configuration may be used to deposit several parallelrows of agricultural product into the soil as the disc drill is pulledthrough a field by a tractor or other prime mover. In some applications,each ground opener will include a single opening disc configured toexcavate a furrow into the soil surface, one or more agriculturalproduct tubes configured to deposit agricultural product into the furrowformed by the opening disc, a gauge wheel configured to adjust a depthat which the opening disc excavates down into the soil, and a closingwheel configured to fill in the furrow and to pack the displaced soil ontop of the agricultural product that was deposited into the furrow.

Various types of disc drills have been known to use support assemblies,such as parallel linkage arms, that support the ground openers withrespect to the frame of the disc drills. However, such previously-usedsupport assemblies did not effectively and efficiently support and/ordistribute the high loads imparted onto the ground openers duringoperation. As such, various components (e.g., spindles, bearings, etc.)of the previously-used ground openers would experience premature wearingand/or would prematurely fail due to inefficient load distributions.

In addition, as noted above, certain previously-used ground openers wereknown to include gauge wheels for adjusting an operating depth of theground openers. Specifically, a gauge wheel could be raised and loweredwith respect to its associated opening disc so as to establish anoperating depth at which the opening disc excavates down into the groundsoil to form the furrow. Each of such previously-used ground openerwould generally include its own, independent depth-adjustment handle bywhich an operator could adjust the position of the gauge wheel withrespect to the opening disc. As such, for disc drills that includedmultiple ground openers, adjusting the positions of the gauge wheels foreach of the individual ground openers was a difficult and time-consumingprocess.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided aground-opening apparatus for an agricultural implement. Theground-opening apparatus comprises an opening disc for excavating afurrow in the ground, and a support assembly securing the opening discto the agricultural implement. The support assembly comprises an upperbar, a lower bar, a forward bar, and a rearward bar. The upper bar andthe lower bar extend generally in parallel relationship. The lower barand the rearward bar are joined at a lower, rearward joint. A rotationalaxis of the opening disc extends through the lower, rearward joint ofthe support assembly.

In another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided anagricultural implement comprising a plurality of ground-openingapparatuses. Each of the ground-opening apparatuses includes an openingdisc for excavating a furrow in the ground, and a support assemblysecuring the opening disc to the agricultural implement. The supportassembly comprises an upper bar, a lower bar, a forward bar, and arearward bar. The upper bar and the lower bar extend generally inparallel relationship. The lower bar and the rearward bar are joined ata lower, rearward joint. A rotational axis of the opening disc extendsthrough the lower, rearward joint of the support assembly.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided amethod of forming a furrow with an agricultural implement that includesat least one ground-opening apparatus. The method comprises a step ofsupporting the ground-opening apparatus by a support assembly thatincludes an upper bar, a lower bar, a forward bar, and a rearward bar.The upper bar and the lower bar extend generally in parallelrelationship. The lower bar and the rearward bar are joined at a lower,rearward joint. The method includes the further step of forming thefurrow by excavating the ground soil with an opening disc of theground-opening apparatus. A rotational axis of the opening disc extendsthrough the lower, rearward joint of the support assembly.

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below in the detaileddescription. This summary is not intended to identify key features oressential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended tobe used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Other aspectsand advantages of the present invention will be apparent from thefollowing detailed description of the embodiments and the accompanyingdrawing figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Embodiments of the present invention are described herein with referenceto the following drawing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a disc drill and an air cart beingpulled by a tractor;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the disc drill from FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is another perspective of the disc drill and the tractor fromFIG. 1, particularly illustrating a plurality of opener sets connectedto a frame of the disc drill, and with each of the opener sets includinga plurality of ground openers;

FIG. 4a is a perspective view of a portion of two opener sets(forwardly/rearwardly separated) from the disc drill of FIGS. 1-3;

FIG. 4b is another perspective view of the two opener sets from FIG. 4a, with a portion of the frame of the disc drill removed to illustratethe ground openers and their connection with the frame;

FIG. 5a is a side elevation view of two ground openers, from separateopener sets, secured to the frame of the disc drill from FIGS. 1-4 b viasupport assemblies, with the ground openers configured in a loweredposition;

FIG. 5b is another side elevation view of the two ground openers fromFIG. 5a , with the ground openers configured in a raised position;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of one of the ground openers from FIG.5a , with the ground opener connected to the frame of the disc drill viathe support assembly according to embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is an opposite side elevation view of the ground opener from FIG.6;

FIG. 8 perspective view of the opposite side of the ground opener shownin FIG. 7, with a portion of a gauge wheel cut away to illustrate agauge arm used to actuate the gauge wheel;

FIG. 8a is an enlarged view of a portion of the ground opener from FIG.8, with a portion of the ground opener cut away to illustrate a discspindle, a gauge wheel adjustment spindle, and high-load spindlebearings;

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of a portion of the ground opener and supportassembly from FIGS. 6-7, particularly illustrating spindle bearings ofan opening disc and a opener body of the ground opener, and furtherillustrating the opening disc being orientated at an excavation angle;

FIG. 10 a top plan view of the ground opener and support assembly fromFIGS. 6-7, particularly illustrating the support assembly beingorientated at an offset angle with respect to a direction of travel ofthe ground opener;

FIG. 11 is a side elevation view of another embodiment of a groundopener according to embodiments of the present invention, particularlyillustrating a portion of a depth-adjustment assembly configurable tosimultaneously adjust operating depths of a plurality of ground openers,wherein a position of the portion of the depth-adjustment assembly beingoperably engaged with the ground opener is shown in dashed line;

FIG. 12 is another side elevation view of the ground opener from FIG.11, particularly illustrating the portion of the ground-adjustmentassembly being operably engaged with the ground opener;

FIG. 13 is a side elevation view of two ground openers, from separateopener sets, secured to a frame of a disc drill via support assemblies,with the ground openers each including at least a portion of adepth-adjustment assembly for simultaneously adjusting operating depthsof ground openers of the same opener set;

FIG. 14 is a rearward perspective view of two ground openers, from thesame opener set, secured to a frame of a disc drill via supportassemblies, with the opener set including a depth-adjustment assemblyfor simultaneously adjusting the operating depth of the two groundopeners;

FIG. 15 is a forward perspective view of one of the ground openers fromFIG. 14, with a portion of the frame removed to illustrate the groundopener's connection to the depth-adjustment assembly; and

FIG. 16 is a side perspective view of a front opener set and a rearopener set of ground openers, with a mechanical linkage connecting theopener sets to allow simultaneous adjustment of operating depths of theground openers from both the front and rear opener sets.

The drawing figures do not limit the present invention to the specificembodiments disclosed and described herein. The drawings are notnecessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearlyillustrating the principles of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description of the present invention referencesvarious embodiments. The embodiments are intended to describe aspects ofthe invention in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art topractice the invention. Other embodiments can be utilized and changescan be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in alimiting sense. The scope of the present invention is defined only bythe appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to whichsuch claims are entitled.

Broadly, embodiments of the present invention are directed to groundopeners for agricultural implements, such as a disc drill 10 illustratedin FIG. 1. The disc drill 10 may comprise a frame 12 that is towed by atractor 13 or other prime mover. The frame 12 may include a plurality oflaterally-extending frame elements 14 and/or a plurality offorwardly-extending frame elements 16 (based on a direction of travel ofthe disc drill 10). Turning to FIGS. 2 and 3, the disc drill 10 mayfurther comprise one or more opener sets 18 secured to the frame 12.Each opener set 18, as illustrated in FIGS. 4a-5b , may comprise aplurality of (or a gang of) ground openers 20, a laterally-extendingtoolbar 22, and a laterally extending rockshaft 24. The toolbars 22 maybe rigidly secured below the frame 12, such as by being rigidly securedto one or more of the frame elements 14, 16 of the frame 12. Therockshafts 24 may be positioned above the toolbars 22 and rotatablysecured to the frame 12, such as via a pivot bar 26 secured to a bottomside one or more of the frame elements 14, 16 of the frame 12. Broadly,the ground openers 20 will be supported by and extend downward from thetoolbars 22, such that the ground openers 20 can engage with the groundsoil to create furrows into which agricultural product (e.g., seedand/or treatment) can be deposited. Typically, as shown in FIG. 1, thetractor 13 that pulls the seed drill 10 may additionally tow an air cart27 which holds the agricultural product that can be supplied to theindividual ground openers 20 for depositing into the ground soil. Asused herein, the term “forward” refers to a direction of travel of thedisc drill 10 (e.g., as pulled by the tractor 13), while the term“rearward” refers to a direction opposite the direction of travel of thedisc drill 10.

Turning to the ground openers 20 in more detail, as illustrated in FIGS.6-8, each ground opener 20 may comprises an opening disc 30 that is usedto excavate a furrow in the ground soil into which seed and/orfertilizer can be deposited. The opening disc 30 may be generallyconfigured as a metal disc (e.g., flat or concave) that rotates about anaxis of rotation. The ground openers 20 may include a gauge wheeladjustment spindle 34 and a disc spindle 35, with the gauge wheeladjustment spindle 34 being coaxial with and surrounded by the discspindle 35 (See, e.g., FIG. 8a ). In general, the gauge wheel adjustmentspindle 34 will be free to rotate independently of the disc spindle 35.In some embodiments, the disc spindle 35 will remain generallystationary (non-rotating) during use of the ground opener 20. As will bediscussed in more detail below, the axis of rotation of the opening disc30 may be presented by the disc spindle 35 and/or the gauge wheeladjustment spindle 34 that is coaxial therewith, with each spindle 34,35 extending through a center of the opening disc 30. In someembodiments, one or more high-load spindle bearings (described in moredetail below with reference to FIGS. 8a , 9, and 10) may coaxiallysurround the disc spindle 35 so as to also surround the rotation axisabout which the opening disc 30 rotates. In more detail, the discspindle 35 (See FIG. 8a ) may be formed as a tube that surrounds and iscoaxial with the gauge wheel adjustment spindle 34. The high-loadspindle bearings (i.e. identified by reference number 78) may beconfigured to rotate on and around the disc spindle 35. Specifically, asshown in FIG. 8a , the opening disc 30 is rigidly connected with thehigh-load spindle bearings 78 which are in contact with the disc spindle35. As a result, the opening disc 30 may rotate about the disc spindle35 via the high-load spindle bearings, and particularly around therotation axis presented by the disc spindle 35 (and/or presented by thegauge wheel adjustment spindle 34 that is coaxial therewith). Becausethe gauge wheel adjustment spindle 34 is coaxial with the disc spindle35, the opening disc 30 also rotates around or about the gauge wheeladjustment spindle 34. The gauge wheel adjustment spindle 34 and thedisc spindle 35 may also extend through an opener body 36 of the groundopener 20. The opener body 36 may be positioned adjacent to and on afirst side of the opening disc 30. As discussed in more detail below,the opener body 36 may be configured to support various components ofthe ground opener 20.

Embodiments provide for the opening disc 30 to be orientated such thatthe opening disc 30 is skewed by an excavation angle with respect to adirection of travel of the disc drill 10. Stated differently, theopening disc 30 may be rotated by the excavation angle about a verticalaxis. In some embodiments, the excavation angle may be between 0 and 20degrees, between 5 and 15 degrees, between 6 and 10 degrees, or about 7degrees. Due to the excavation angle, as the opening disc 30 is pulledthrough the ground soil, a leading edge of the opening disc 30 candisplace soil and create the furrow into which agricultural products canbe deposited. The orientation of the opening disc 30 will be discussedin more detail below.

To establish and/or adjust a depth at which the opening disc 30excavates the ground soil to create the furrow, the ground opener 20 mayadditionally comprise a gauge wheel 40, as illustrated in FIG. 7. Thegauge wheel 40 may be positioned adjacent to and on a second side of theopening disc 30 (opposite the opener body 36), such that the gauge wheel40 can roll along the ground in relatively close proximity to theopening disc 30. The operating depth of the ground opener 20, i.e., thedepth at which the opening disc 30 excavates into the ground soil tocreate a furrow (alternatively described as a furrow depth) can beadjusted by changing a position of the gauge wheel 40 with respect tothe opening disc 30. In more detail, with reference to FIG. 8, the gaugewheel 40 may be connected to the gauge wheel adjustment spindle 34 via agauge arm 42. A first end of the gauge arm 42 may be rigidly secured tothe gauge wheel adjustment spindle 34, while a second end of the gaugearm 42 is rigidly secured to a gauge wheel rotation spindle 44. Thegauge wheel 40 is configured to rotate about the gauge wheel rotationspindle 44 as the gauge wheel 40 rolls along the ground. In such aconfiguration, rotation of the gauge wheel adjustment spindle 34 willcause a corresponding raising and/or lowering of the gauge arm 42, andthus the gauge wheel 40, with respect to the opening disc 30 (andparticularly with respect to a bottom edge of the opening disc 30).

In some embodiments, as illustrated in FIG. 6, a depth-adjustment handle46 will be rigidly secured to an end of the gauge wheel adjustmentspindle 34 (opposite the gauge arm 42), such that an operator of thedisc drill 10 can rotate the gauge wheel adjustment spindle 34 forpurposes of raising and/or lowering the gauge wheel 40 with respect tothe opening disc 30. The depth-adjustment handle 46 may be rotatedacross an outer surface of the opener body 36. In some embodiments, theopener body 36 may include notches for securing the depth-adjustmenthandle 46 in multiple pre-established positions. Alternatively, as shownin FIG. 6, the ground opener 20 may include an arcuate notch platesecured to the outer surface of the opener body 36 for securing thedepth-adjustment handle 46 in multiple pre-established positions.

For example, with reference to FIG. 6, rotating the depth-adjustmenthandle 46 in a clockwise manner will cause the gauge arm 42, as well asthe gauge wheel 40, to rotate clockwise about the gauge wheel adjustmentspindle 34 (See, e.g., FIG. 8 for reference), thereby lowering the gaugewheel 40 with respect to a bottom edge of the opening disc 30. As such,because the gauge wheel 40 is configured to remain in contact with andto roll along the surface of the ground, the operating depth of theopening disc 30 will be decreased. In contrast, rotating thedepth-adjustment handle 46 in a counter-clockwise manner will cause thegauge arm 42, as well as the gauge wheel 40, to rotate counter-clockwiseabout the gauge wheel adjustment spindle 34 (See, e.g., FIG. 8 forreference), thereby raising the gauge wheel 40 with respect to thebottom edge of the opening disc 30. As such, because the gauge wheel 40is configured to remain in contact with and to roll along the surface ofthe ground, the operating depth of the opening disc 30 will beincreased. Thus, an operating depth of the ground opener 20 can beadjusted by adjusting the relative positions of the gauge wheel 40 andthe opening disc 30 (and particularly, the relative position of a bottomedge of the gauge wheel 40 and the bottom edge of the opening disc 30).

Remaining with FIG. 6, each of the ground openers 20 can additionallyinclude a firming wheel 50 and a closing wheel 52. The firming wheel 50may be connected to the opener body 36, via a connection arm, such thatthe firming wheel 50 extends rearward and/or downward from the openerbody 36. The firming wheel 50 may be configured to follow the openingdisc 30, such that the firming wheel 50 rolls along a bottom of thefurrow. As such, the firming wheel 50 can press down on agriculturalproducts (e.g., seed or treatment) deposited in the furrow, so as tofirmly plant the agricultural products into the soil. The connection armof the firming wheel 50 may be rotatably attached to the opener body 36and spring biased downward to firm the seed in the bottom of the furrowwhile being able to move upwards if the firming wheel strikes a rock orsimilar obstruction. The connection arm may also include a lockupfeature that can allow the firming wheel 50 to be raised and disengagedin extremely sticky soils that may cause build up of mud that candisrupt the seed placement. Similarly, the closing wheel 52 may beconnected to the opener body 36, via a connection arm, such that theclosing wheel 52 extends rearward and/or downward from the opener body36. The closing wheel 52 may be configured to follow the opening disc 30adjacent to the surface of the ground, so as to re-fill the furrow byforcing soil back into the furrow, thereby covering the agriculturalproducts previously deposited into the furrow. The connection arm of theclosing wheel 52 may be rotatably attached to the opener body 36 andadjustably spring biased downward to close the furrow with more or lessforce in different soil conditions.

Each of the ground openers 20 may further include a support assembly 60,as illustrated in FIG. 6, which may be used to secure the ground opener20 to the disc drill 10. In some embodiments, the support assembly 60may be in the form of a parallel linkage assembly and/or a four-barlinkage assembly. In more detail, the support assembly 60 may secure theground opener 20 to the toolbar 22. For instance, as illustrated in FIG.6, the support assembly 60 may be in the form of a four-bar linkage witha forward bar 62, an upper bar 64, a lower bar 66, and a rearward bar.In certain embodiments, the rearward bar may take the form of the openerbody 36, which was previously described and shown.

The lower bar 66 may be rotatably joined with the forward bar 62 at afirst pivot joint 70 (a lower, forward joint), such that the lower bar66 can rotate with respect to the forward bar 62 by an axis presented bythe first joint 70. Similarly, the lower bar 66 may rotatably joinedwith the rearward bar (e.g., the opener body 36) at a second pivot joint72 (lower, rearward joint), such that the lower bar 66 can rotate withrespect to the rearward bar by an axis presented by the second joint 72.As was previously described, the gauge wheel adjustment spindle 34 mayform part of (and/or be aligned with) the second joint 72. As such, thegauge wheel adjustment spindle 34 may extend through the lower bar 66.However, it should be noted that the gauge wheel adjustment spindle 34may be configured to rotate with respect to the lower bar 66 (e.g., viaactuation of the depth-adjustment handle 46). In some specificembodiments, the disc spindle 35 (which surrounds and is coaxiallyaligned with the gauge wheel adjustment spindle 34) may be rigidlysecured to the lower bar 66 so as to form part and/or to be aligned ofthe second joint 72. In addition, the upper bar 64 may be rotatablyjoined with the forward bar 62 at a third pivot joint 74 (upper, forwardjoint), such that the upper bar 64 can rotate with respect to theforward bar 62 by an axis presented by the third joint 74. Similarly,the upper bar 64 may be rotatably joined with the rearward bar (e.g.,the opener body 36) at a fourth pivot joint 76 (upper, rearward joint),such that the upper bar 64 can rotate with respect to the rearward barby an axis presented by the fourth joint 76. As will be described inmore detail below, the support assemblies 60, in the form of thefour-bar linkages, can function to support the ground openers 20 withrespect to the frame 12 of the disc drill 10 during operation of thedisc drill 10. As such, the ground openers 20 can be used to formfurrows, to plant agricultural products (e.g., seed and/or treatment)within the furrows, and to fill in the furrows once the agriculturalproducts have been planted. In addition, the support assembly 60 can beused to facilitate raising and lowering of the ground openers 20 withrespect to the frame 12 of the disc drill 10 and/or with respect to theground surface.

Beneficially, as illustrated in FIG. 6, embodiments of the presentinvention provide for the gauge wheel adjustment spindle 34 to coincidewith and/or to form the second joint 72 (i.e., the lower, rearwardjoint) of the support assembly 60. In particularly, the gauge wheeladjustment spindle 34 is configured to extend through the opener body 36at the second joint 72, thereby providing for the opener body 36 topivotally float about the gauge wheel adjustment spindle 34 and/or thesecond joint 72. Stated differently, the opener body 36 is configured topivotally float (e.g., via the bearings 78) about the rotational axispresented by the gauge wheel adjustment spindle 34 located at the secondjoint 72. Furthermore, because the disc spindle 35 is positioned aroundand coaxial with the gauge wheel adjustment spindle 34, the opener body36 is configured to pivotally float (e.g., via the bearings 78) on thedisc spindle 35 about the second joint 72 and/or the rotational axispresented by the disc spindle 35. Each of the opening disc 30 and theopener body 36 is pivotally secured to the disc spindle 35 via high-loadspindle bearings 78, as is shown in FIGS. 8a and 9. As a result,returning to FIG. 6, the axis of the second joint 72 can be the same asthe rotational axis of the opening disc 30 (i.e., the axis presented bythe gauge wheel adjustment spindle 34 and/or the disc spindle 35). Sucha configuration provides for improved load and torque distributionthrough the ground opener 20. Specifically, the high loads imparted onthe opening disc 30 during excavation of the furrow will be imparteddirectly to the support assembly 60 via the gauge wheel adjustmentspindle 34 (and/or the disc spindle 35 and the high-load spindlebearings 78) at the second joint 72 of the support assembly 60. This isdifferent from many prior art configurations, in which the rotationalaxis of the opening disc may be offset from an adjacent joint of thesupport assembly (e.g., as in prior parallel linkages and/or four-barlinkages). For instance, in prior ground openers, the rotational axis ofthe opening disc would generally be offset from the lower, rearwardjoint of the support assembly. In such prior configurations, high loadsand torques were required to be passed from the opening disc through theopener body to the adjacent joints of the support assembly. Suchdistribution of forces created unwanted loads and torques which wouldlead to premature wearing and failure of components (e.g., bearings andjoints) of the ground openers. It is noted that in certain embodimentsof the present invention, as shown in FIG. 6, the firming wheel 50and/or the closing wheel 52 may impart some additional loads and/ortorques on the support assembly 60 (e.g., opener body 36); however, suchadditional loads and/or torques are relatively minor compared to thehigh loads imparted onto the opening disc 30 during operation of theground opener 20.

Embodiments of the present invention also provide for improved load andtorque distribution, and thus more consistent wearing of components ofthe ground opener 20, via the orientation of support assembly 60. Asnoted above, the opening disc 30 is skewed by an excavation angle thatfacilitates the opening disc's 30 ability to form the furrow. FIG. 9 maybest illustrate the excavation angle of the opening disc 30 viareference numeral 79. In many prior art ground opener, such anexcavation angle was created by positioning the rotational axis of theopening disc (presented via the disc's spindle or axle) at the requiredexcavation angle through the opener body. However, as was noted above,in prior art ground openers, the rotational axis of the opening disc isgenerally offset from the lower, rear joint of the support assembly(e.g., parallel linkage and/or four-bar linkage). As such, unwantedwearing of the lower, rear joint of the support assembly can be causedby the force imparted onto the lower, rear joint across the opener bodyfrom the opening disc. Such unwanted wearing is known to counteract thepositioning/orientation of the rotational axis of the opening disc, suchthat the rotational axis of the opening disc can unwantedly change fromthe intended excavation angle over the life of the ground opener.

Beneficially, embodiments of the present invention are configured tomaintain the opening disc 30 in the intended excavation angle 79 by wayof the support assembly 60 (at least a portion thereof) being orientatedat an offset angle 80 (See FIGS. 9 and 10) with respect to a directionof travel of the disc drill 10. In embodiments in which the supportassembly 60 comprises a four-bar linkage, the components of the supportassembly 60 will extend generally along directions that are coplanarand/or that are parallel with each other. For example, in someembodiments, the lower bar 66 and the upper bar 64 will extend parallelto each other. Similarly, in some embodiments, the forward bar 62 andthe rearward bar (e.g., the opener body 36) will extend parallel to eachother. Furthermore, in some embodiments, each of the forward bar 62, thelower bar 66, the upper bar 64, and the rear bar (e.g., the opener body36) will extend parallel with each other. Furthermore still, in someembodiments, the forward bar 62, the lower bar 66, the upper bar 64, andthe rear bar (e.g., the opener body 36) may all extend in coplanarrelationships, such that each of the bars extend substantially along thesame given plane. In some alternative embodiments, however, only aportion of the bars of the support assembly 60 will extend parallel witheach other. For instance, as illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, a frontportion of the lower bar 66 may be offset from a rear portion of thelower bar 66. These front and rear portions of the lower bar 64 may beparallel with one another. However, the front portion may be connectedto the rear portion via middle connecting section, which does not extendin parallel relationship with the front and rear portions of the lowerbar 66 or with other components of the support assembly 60.Nevertheless, in some embodiments, at least a portion of each of theforward bar 62, the lower bar 66, the upper bar 64, and the rear bar(e.g., the opener body 36) may extend in parallel relationship with eachother.

In addition to extending in parallel relationship, as was noted above,embodiments provide for the components of the support assembly 60 toextend at an offset angle 80 with respect to the direction of travel ofthe disc drill 10, as is shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. In more detail, insome embodiments, one or more (or all) of the forward bar 62, the lowerbar 66, the upper bar 64, and the rear bar (e.g., the opener body 36)may extend rearward in such a manner that the support assembly 60 isgenerally orientated at the offset angle 80 with respect to thedirection of travel of the disc drill 10. In some embodiments, theoffset angle 80 will be equivalent to the excavation angle 79 of theopening disc 30, which was previously described. For example, theopening disc 30 may be supported by the support assembly 60, e.g., viathe spindle bearings 78, such that the excavation angle 79 of theopening disc 30 is generally equivalent to the offset angle 80 of thesupport assembly. In some specific embodiments, the offset angle 80 maybe between 0 and 20 degrees, between 5 and 15 degrees, between 6 and 10degrees, or about 7 degrees. It should be noted that the offset angle 80may, in some embodiments, generally comprise a lateral offset measuredas a lateral angular distance between the support assembly 60 and thedirection of travel (as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10). Stated differently,the offset angle 80 is a rotation about a generally vertical axis thatis perpendicular to the direction of travel of the seed drill 10.

To facilitate the orientation of the support assembly 60, it is notedthat the ground opener 20 may include a collar mount 82, as shown inFIGS. 6, 9, and 10, which is rigidly secured about the toolbar 22. Theforward bar 62 of the support assembly 60 may extend from the collarmount 82 at an angle, which is equal to the offset angle 80. In someembodiments, the forward bar 62 may be formed from the same material asthe collar mount 82, but may be deformed (e.g., bent) so as to extend atthe offset angle 80. In alternative embodiments, the forward bar 62 maybe secured to the collar mount 82 via welding, fasteners, or the like.In some embodiments, the forward bar 62 will positioned on one side ofthe collar mount 82, such that the upper bar 64 and the lower bar 66 areattached to the one side of the collar mount 82 via the forward bar 62.However, in some embodiments, as illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, amounting arm 84 may extend rearward from the collar mount 82 on anopposite side of the collar mount. Such mounting arm 84 may also extendat the offset angle 80. For structural stability, certain embodimentsprovide for a fastener, which forms the first joint 70 securing thelower bar 66 with the forward bar 62, to be secured to both the forwardbar 62 and the mounting arm 84.

As discussed above, each of the lower bar 66 and the upper bar 64 mayextend rearward generally in the direction of the offset angle 80 totheir respective joints 72, 76 with the rearward bar (e.g., the openerbody 36). The rearward bar, which may be in the form of the opener body36, may also be orientated at the offset angle 80. Thus, the gauge wheeladjustment spindle 34 and/or the disc spindle 35, which extends throughthe opener body 36, will extend at an angle that corresponds with theoffset angle 80. In particular, the gauge wheel adjustment spindle 34and/or the disc spindle 35 may extend at the excavation angle 79 of theopening disc 30 (as shown in FIG. 9), which is measured in relation to adirection orthogonal to the direction of travel of the disc drill 10.For example, the axis 85 illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10 as extendingalong a direction of the toolbar 22 will be orthogonal to the directionof travel of the disc drill 10. Embodiments provide for the opening disc30, which rotates about the gauge wheel adjustment spindle 34 and/or thedisc spindle 35 to be orientated at the excavation angle 79, withrespect to such an orthogonal direction to the direction of travel. Forexample, the disc spindle 35 is rigidly supported by the lower bar 66 atthe offset angle with respect to a direction perpendicular to thedirection of travel (i.e., axis 85). Because the opening disc 30 isconfigured to rotate about the disc spindle 35, the opening disc 30 istherefore rotatably secured to the lower bar and is also orientationallyskewed by the offset angle with respect to the direction of travel. Asnoted previously, the excavation angle 79 will generally be equal to theoffset angle 80 of the support assembly 60. Specifically, the supportassembly 60 extending at the offset angle 80 (with respect to thedirection of travel of the disc drill 10) will cause the opening disc 30to extend at the excavation angle 79 (with respect to a directionorthogonal to the direction of travel of the disc drill 10).

In addition to defining the support assembly 60 as extending at theoffset angle 80, the configuration of the support assembly 60 may alsobe defined based on an orientation of the joints 70, 72, 74, 76.Specifically, as perhaps best shown in FIG. 9, given the orientation ofthe support assembly 60, the axes defined by the joints 70, 72, 74, 76(reference numerals can be seen in FIG. 6) will be configured to extendat the offset angle 80 with respect to a direction that is orthogonal tothe direction of travel of the support assembly 60. It should be clear,therefore, that due to the second joint 72 (corresponding with the gaugewheel adjustment spindle 34 and/or the disc spindle 35) extending at theoffset angle 80, the opening disc 30 will be configured to be orientatedat the intended excavation angle 79.

The extension of the support assembly 60 at the offset angle 80 providesfor the ground opener 20 of embodiments of the present invention to havevarious benefits from prior art ground openers. As was discussed above,many prior art ground openers would have their opening disc axes offsetfrom the joints of the support assemblies. Generally, the opening discaxes would be offset at an excavation angle, while the joints of thesupport assemblies would generally not be offset. Such a configurationallowed for problematic loads and torques at the joints of the supportassemblies, which would cause premature wearing and failure of thejoints as well as a gradual shifting of the opening disc away from theintended excavation angle. Embodiments of the present invention provideefficient and improved load distribution through the ground opener 20,consistent wear on the joints of the support assembly 60, and persistentorientation of the opening disc 30 at the excavation angle 79 due to theconfiguration of the support assembly 60 described above (i.e., theorientation of the support assembly 60 and/or the joints 70, 72, 74, 76at the offset angle 80 and the lower, rearward joint (i.e., second joint72) of the support assembly 60 aligning with the gauge wheel adjustmentspindle 34 and/or the disc spindle 35 of the opening disc 30).

In further embodiments of the present invention, each of the groundopeners 20 will include, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, adown-pressure device 90, which is configured to apply a consistentdownward pressure on the opening disc 30 as the opening disc 30 travelsthrough the ground soil, forming the furrow. In some embodiments, thedown-pressure device 90 may comprise a spring. In alternate embodiments,the down-pressure device 90 may comprise a piston-cylinder (e.g.,hydraulic cylinder), electric actuator (e.g., linear actuator or motor),gear assembly and/or various other types of actuators. The down-pressuredevice 90 may, in some embodiments, extend between the support assembly60 and the rockshaft 24.

Specifically, in some embodiments, a first end of the down-pressuredevice may be rotatably connected to the rockshaft 24 via a pair ofmount arms 92. A second end of the down-pressure device 90 may berotatably connected to the lower bar 66 of the support assembly 60 via apair of mount arms 94. As such, the down-pressure device 90 will besupported by the rockshaft 24 so as provide a downward force against thesupport assembly 60 and, thus, to the opening disc 30. Beneficially, aswas described previously, the lower bar 66 receives and/or supports atleast a portion of the gauge wheel adjustment spindle 34 and/or the discspindle 35, about which the opening disc 30 rotates. Thus, because thedown-pressure device 90 is directly connected to the lower bar 66 (viathe mount arms 94), the down-pressure device 90 can apply an appropriatedown-pressure/down-force to the opening disc 30 (e.g., via the lower bar66 and the gauge wheel adjustment spindle 34 and/or the disc spindle 35)without having numerous linkages between the down-pressure device 90 andthe opening disc 30. As a further benefit, the opening discs 30 areattached to the disc drill 10 frame 12 by individualized supportassemblies 60 (and down-pressure devices 90) which allow the groundopeners 20 to operate independently of one another. Such independenceallows the opening discs 30 to independently respond to changes interrain and field obstructions. It should be understood that, in someembodiments, the support assemblies 60 will be skewed (e.g., laterallyskewed) at their offset angles 80 regardless of whether the supportassemblies 60 are in the raised positions or the lowered positions (withsuch raising/lowering being accomplished by actuators 96 discussedbelow). However, in some embodiments, the down-pressure devices 90 maybe connected to the respective rockshaft 24 and/or to the lower bar 66in a manner that permits the down-pressure device 90 (or at least aportion thereof) to rotate or pivot about a longitudinal axis of thedown-pressure device 90. Such rotation or pivoting permits thedown-pressure device 90 to be raised and lowered along with the supportassembly 60 even though the rockshaft 24 is generally perpendicular tothe direction of travel of the seed drill 10 and the support assembly 60is skewed with respect to the direction of travel of the seed drill 10.Specifically, at least a portion of the down-pressure device 90 (e.g.,the rearward portion) may translate from side to side as thedown-pressure device 90 is raised and lowered.

The rockshaft 24 may also be configured to raise and lower each of theground openers 20 that form part of a common opener set 18. Toaccomplish such raising and lowering, as illustrated in FIGS. 5a and 5b, each opener set 18 may comprise one or more actuators 96 (e.g.,hydraulic cylinders, electric actuators, pneumatic actuators, motors,gear assemblies, or the like) that extend between the rockshaft 24 andthe frame 12 of the disc drill 10. For instance, a first end of theactuator 96 may be pivotally secured to a mount arm 97 extending fromone or more of the frame elements 14, 16. A second end of the actuator96 may be pivotally secured to a mount arm 98 that extends from therockshaft 24. Because the rockshaft 24 is pivotally secured the frame 12via the pivot bar 26, actuation of the actuator 96 can be used to causerotation of the rockshaft 24. Rotating the rockshaft 24 will cause acorresponding raising or lowering of each of the ground openers 20 thatare included within the common opener set 18. For example, withreference to FIG. 5a , extension of the actuator 96 will cause acounter-clockwise rotation of the rockshaft 24. Such a counter-clockwiserotation of the rockshaft 24 will force the down-pressure device 90downward against the support assembly 60, thereby lowering the groundopener 20 by way of the upper bar 64 and the lower bar 66 rotatingdownward about the forward bar 62. In such a manner, the ground opener20 can be lowered into contact with the ground. When the ground opener20 is in contact with the ground, continued rotation of the rockshaft 24(counter-clockwise) will increase the down-pressure/down-forceexperienced by the ground opener 20 (i.e., the pressure exerted by theground opener 20 into/onto the ground). Specifically, rotation of therockshaft 24 (counter-clockwise) will increase thedown-pressure/down-force by compressing the down-pressure device 90(e.g., a spring). Nevertheless, the ground opener 20 is configured tomove upward and downward as necessary over uneven soil (e.g., downwardlyif the ground has a depression and/or upwardly if the ground has amound/hump). In contrast, with reference to FIG. 5b , retraction of theactuator 96 will cause a clockwise rotation of the rockshaft 24. Such aclockwise rotation of the rockshaft 24 will force the down-pressuredevice 90 upward, pulling against the support assembly 60, therebyraising the ground opener 20 by way of the upper bar 64 and the lowerbar 66 rotating up about the forward bar 62. If the ground opener 20remains engaged with the ground, the rotation of the rockshaft 24(clockwise) will decrease the down-pressure/down-force experienced bythe ground opener 20 (i.e., the pressure exerted by the ground opener 20into/onto the ground). Specifically, rotation of the rockshaft 24(clockwise) will decrease the down-pressure/down-force by decompressingthe down-pressure device 90 (e.g., a spring). It is noted that controlof the actuators 96 of the seed drill 10 may be controlled remotely,such as by the operator positioned in a cab of the tractor. The groundopeners 20 may be raised for various reasons, such as duringtransportation of the seed drill 10.

In addition to raising and lowering the ground openers 20 of a givenopener set 18, certain embodiments of the present invention may includea common depth-adjustment assembly 100, illustrated in FIGS. 11-13,configured to simultaneously adjust an operating depth of each of theground openers 20 of the given opener set 18. The depth-adjustmentassembly 100 may, in some embodiments, be used in place of theindividual depth adjustment handles 46, which were previously described.In more detail, the depth-adjustment assembly 100 may comprise a commonpivot bar 102 that extends laterally across the opener set 18. Suchlateral extension is perhaps best shown in FIGS. 14 and 15. In someembodiments, the common pivot bar 102 may extend adjacent to the toolbar22. For example, each of the collar mounts 82 securing the groundopeners to the toolbar 22 may include a through hole, such that thepivot bar 102 can be positioned through such through holes in a mannerthat provides for the pivot bar 102 to rotate within the through holesof the collar mounts 82

As perhaps best illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12, the depth-adjustmentassembly 100 may further include, for each of the ground openers 20within the same opener set 18, a depth-adjustment arm 104 and a parallellinkage assembly 106 connecting the depth-adjustment arm 104 to thepivot bar 102. In more detail, the depth-adjustment arm 104 may berigidly connected to the gauge wheel adjustment spindle 34, such thatrotation of the depth-adjustment arm 104 will cause a rotation of thegauge wheel adjustment spindle 34 and a corresponding raising orlowering of the gauge wheel 40 (not shown in FIGS. 11 and 12) withrespect to the opening disc 30. As such, the depth-adjustment arm 104may function similar to the depth-adjustment handle 46, which waspreviously described. However, in contrast to the depth-adjustmenthandle 46 (which is configured to be actuated manually by the hand of anoperator), the depth-adjustment arm 104 is configured to be rotated bythe parallel linkage assembly 106, which is actuated via rotation of thepivot bar 102.

In more detail, the parallel linkage assembly 106 may comprise a firstpivot arm 108 that is rigidly secured to the pivot bar 102, such thatrotation of the pivot bar 102 causes a corresponding rotation of thefirst pivot arm 108. In some embodiments, the first pivot arm 108 may besecured to the pivot bar 102 via a pin, a fastener, or other similarcomponents. Alternatively, the first pivot arm 108 may have a throughhole with a shape that conforms to an exterior shape of the pivot bar102, such that rotation of the pivot bar 102 (which passes through thethrough hole) causes a corresponding rotation of the first pivot bar108.

The parallel linkage assembly 106 may, in some embodiments, additionallyinclude a first linkage arm 110, a second pivot arm 112, and a secondlinkage arm 114. The first linkage arm 110 may be pivotally secured tothe first pivot arm 108 and may extend rearward so as to be pivotallysecured to the second pivot arm 112. The second pivot arm 112 may bepivotally secured to the support assembly 60. In some specificembodiments, the second pivot arm 112 may be pivotally secured to thesupport assembly 60 and the first pivot joint 70 (i.e., the lower,forward joint). The second linkage arm 114 may be pivotally secured tothe second pivot arm 112 and may extend rearward to the depth-adjustmentarm 104 where the second pivot arm 112 and the depth-adjustment arm 104are pivotally secured together. In some embodiments, as illustrated inFIG. 11, the second linkage arm 114 may extend in parallel relationshipwith the upper and lower bars 64, 66 of the support assembly 60. Givensuch parallel relationship between the parallel linkage assembly 106 andthe support assembly 60, some embodiments may provide for the parallellinkage assembly 106 (and/or the depth-adjustment arm 104) to beorientated at the skewed angle 80 along with the support assembly 60.

Given the configuration described above, the parallel linkage assembly106 and the depth-adjustment arm 104 associated with a given groundopener 20 may be actuated so as to adjust the operating depth of thegiven ground opener 20. In particular, with reference to FIG. 13, if thecommon pivot bar 102 is rotated clockwise, the parallel linkage assembly106 will be actuated rearward. Upon the parallel linkage assembly 106being actuated rearward, the depth-adjustment arm 104 will be rotatedclockwise (with reference to FIG. 13), such that the gauge wheel 40 willbe shifted downward with respect to a bottom edge of the opening disc30, thereby reducing the operating depth of the ground opener 20. Incontrast, if the common pivot bar 102 is rotated counter-clockwise, theparallel linkage assembly 106 will be actuated forward. Upon theparallel linkage assembly 106 being actuated forward, thedepth-adjustment arm 104 will be rotated counter-clockwise (withreference to FIG. 13), such that the gauge wheel 40 will be shiftedupward with respect to a bottom edge of the opening disc 30, therebyincreasing the operating depth of the ground opener 20. Beneficially,because the parallel linkage assemblies 106 and the depth-adjustmentarms 104 of each of the ground openers 20 of a particular opener set 18are connected with the common pivot bar 102, the depth-adjustmentassembly 100 provides for the operating depths of each of the groundopeners 20 of the particular opener set 18 to be simultaneously adjustedvia rotation of the pivot bar 102. It should also be noted that due tothe parallel relationship between the depth adjustment parallel linkageassembly 106 and the support assembly 60 four bar linkage, the depth ofthe furrow can be maintained at a constant magnitude (i.e., unchanged)while the ground opener 20 moves up and down when following uneventerrain. Specifically, due to the parallel relationship between theparallel linkage assembly 106 and the support assembly 60, the parallellinkage assembly 106 is configured to maintain a constant relationshipbetween the opener disc 30 and the gauge wheel 40 as the ground opener20 shifts up and down relative to the frame 12. It should further benoted that because of this favorable parallel relationship it ispossible to raise a front or rear opener set 18 of ground openers 20without affecting the seeding depth of the other opener set 18, eventhough the depth adjustments may be linked (e.g., as described belowwith respect to the linkage 140). Such a configuration is useful forpurposes such as to provide wider row and seed spacing only using halfof available ground openers 20. One example of doing this would be toplant wheat at “7.5 inch” spacing and then raise half the ground openers20 and plant soybeans at “15 inch” spacing with the same disc drill 10.Even though half the ground openers 20 are fully raised the common depthactuator 120 (discussed in more detail below) can still be used controlthe ground openers 20 that remain engaged within the ground with noadditional changes needed.

In more detail, as perhaps best illustrated in FIGS. 14 and 15, rotationof the common pivot bar 102 for a given opener set 18 will cause acorresponding actuation of the parallel linkage assemblies 106 and thedepth-adjustment arms 104 associated with each of the ground openers 20of the particular opener set 18. As such, the operating depths of eachof the ground openers 20 can be simultaneously adjusted via thedepth-adjustment assembly 100 of embodiments of the present invention.In some embodiments, the common pivot bar 102 will be rotated by anactuator 120. The actuator 120 may comprise a hydraulic cylinder, anelectric actuator, a pneumatic actuator, a motor, a gear assembly, orthe like. For instance, as illustrated in FIG. 14, the actuator 120 maycomprise a hydraulic cylinder that extends between the frame 12 of thedisc drill 10 (e.g., via mounting arm 122) and a pivot arm 124 rigidlysecured to the pivot bar 102. In other embodiments, the actuator 120 mayextend between the frame 12 and the first pivot arm 108 of one of theground openers 20. In such a configuration, extension or retraction ofthe actuator 120 will cause a rotation of the common pivot bar 102,which as described above, will cause a corresponding adjustment of theoperating depths of each of the ground openers of the associated openerset 18. In other embodiments, the depth-adjustment assembly 100 mayinclude a plurality of actuators 120 for rotating the common pivot bar102.

Embodiments of the present invention may provide for the actuator 120 tobe controlled remotely by the operator of the disc drill 10. Forinstance, the actuator 120 may be controlled by the operator, as theoperator is positioned in a cab of the tractor pulling the disc drill.Thus, the operating depths of each of the ground openers 20 of the discdrill 10 (or each of the ground openers 20 of one or more of the openersets 18) may be simultaneously adjusted remotely by the operator duringoperation of the disc drill 10. Such a feature provides a benefit overprior disc drills, which required the operators to adjust the operatingdepths of each of the ground openers individually (and manually), whilethe disc drill 10 was at a stop. As was noted above, embodiments alsoprovide for the heights and/or down-pressures/down-forces of the groundopeners 20 to be controlled by the operator remotely (via the actuators96 rotating the rockshaft 24). As such, embodiments of the presentinvention provide for the remote simultaneous raising and/or lowering ofthe ground openers 20 of the disc drill 10, controlling of thedown-pressures/downforces of the ground openers 20, as well as asimultaneous adjustment of the operating depths of each of the groundopeners 20 of one or more opener sets 18 of the disc drill 10. In someembodiments, the raising and/or lowering and/or adjustment of thedown-pressures/down-forces of the ground openers 20 may be performedsimultaneously with the adjusting of the operating depths of the groundopeners 20. As described above, the height and/or the down-pressure ofthe ground openers 20, as well as the operating depths of the groundopeners 20, may be simultaneously controlled by an operator of the discdrill 10 as the operator is positioned within a cab of the tractorpropelling the disc drill. However, in other embodiments, such controlmay be automated, such as by a control system that receives input fromvarious types of sensors, such as load sensors, position sensors, GPSsensors, etc.

Although the invention has been described with reference to the one ormore embodiments illustrated in the figures, it is understood thatequivalents may be employed and substitutions made herein withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention as recited in the claims. Forexample, as illustrated in FIG. 16, certain embodiments of the presentinvention may include a linkage 140 that extends between a front openerset 18 of ground openers 20 and a rear opener set 18 of ground openers20. Specifically, the linkage 140 may be a mechanical linkage thatoperably connects the pivot bar 102 of the front opener set 18 of groundopeners 20 and the pivot bar 102 of the rear opener set 18 of groundopeners 20. Specifically, the linkage 140 is shown extending from thepivot arm 124 of the front opener set 18 pivot bar 102 to the pivot arm124 of the rear opener set 18 pivot bar 102. In such embodiments, one ormore actuators 120 associated with either the front opener set 18 ofground openers 20 or the rear opener set 18 of ground openers 20 can beused to adjustment the operating depths of each of the ground openers 20in both the front and rear opener sets 18. In more detail, as shown inFIG. 16, a single actuator 120 is illustrated being positioned inassociation with a front opener set 18 of ground openers 20. As wasdescribed previously, actuation of such actuator 120 will cause arotation of pivot bar 102 of the front opener set 18, resulting in anadjustment of the operating depths of each of the ground openers 20 inthe front opener set 18. However, due to the presence of the linkage 140that operably connects the pivot bar 102 of the front opener set 18 withthe pivot bar 102 of the rear opener set 18, actuation of the actuator120 will cause a simultaneous rotation of both pivot bars 102 of thefront and rear opener sets 18, resulting in a simultaneous adjustment ofthe operating depths of each of the ground openers 20 in both the frontand rear opener sets 18.

Having thus described one or more embodiments of the invention, what isclaimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent includesthe following:

What is claimed is:
 1. A ground-opening apparatus for an agriculturalimplement, said ground-opening apparatus comprising: an opening disc forexcavating a furrow in the ground, wherein said opening disc isconfigured to rotate about a rotational axis that extends through acenter of said opening disc; and a support assembly securing saidopening disc to the agricultural implement, wherein said supportassembly comprises an upper bar, a lower bar, a forward bar, and anopener body, wherein said upper bar and said lower bar extend generallyin parallel relationship, and wherein said lower bar and said openerbody are joined at a lower, rearward joint, wherein the rotational axisof said opening disc extends through the lower, rearward joint of saidsupport assembly.
 2. The ground-opening apparatus of claim 1, whereinsaid rotational axis of said opening disc is presented by a spindleabout which said opening disc is configured to rotate.
 3. Theground-opening apparatus of claim 2, further comprising: a gauge wheelfor establishing a depth at which said opening disc excavates the groundto create the furrow; a depth-adjustment handle connected to saidspindle and configured to adjust a relative position between saidopening disc and said gauge wheel.
 4. The ground-opening apparatus ofclaim 3, wherein said spindle comprises a gauge wheel adjustmentspindle, further comprising a gauge arm extending from said gauge wheeladjustment spindle to a gauge wheel rotation spindle about which saidgauge wheel is configured to rotate.
 5. The ground-opening apparatus ofclaim 2, wherein said opener body pivotally floats about said spindle.6. The ground-opening apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a closingwheel extending rearward from said opener body, wherein said closingwheel is configured to fill in the furrow with soil.
 7. Theground-opening apparatus of claim 1, wherein said upper bar is pivotallysecured to said opener body at an upper, rearward joint, wherein theupper, rearward joint is spaced apart from the lower, rearward joint. 8.The ground-opening apparatus of claim 7, wherein the upper, rearwardjoint presents an axis that is generally parallel with the rotationalaxis of said opening disc that extends through the lower, rearwardjoint.
 9. The ground-opening apparatus of claim 1, wherein said supportassembly comprises a four-bar linkage including said forward bar, saidupper bar, said lower bar, and said opener body, wherein only said upperbar and said lower bar of said four-bar linkage are secured to saidopener body.
 10. The ground-opening apparatus of claim 1, wherein saidupper bar and said lower bar are pivotally secured to said forward bar,wherein said forward bar is rigidly secured to a toolbar of theagricultural implement.
 11. The ground-opening apparatus of claim 1,further comprising a down-pressure device extending between said supportassembly and a rockshaft of the agricultural implement.
 12. Theground-opening apparatus of claim 11, wherein said down-pressure devicecomprises a spring.
 13. An agricultural implement comprising: aplurality of ground-opening apparatuses, where each of saidground-opening apparatuses includes— an opening disc for excavating afurrow in the ground, wherein said opening disc is configured to rotateabout a rotational axis that extends through a center of said openingdisc; and a support assembly securing said opening disc to saidagricultural implement, wherein said support assembly comprises an upperbar, a lower bar, a forward bar, and an opener body, wherein said upperbar and said lower bar extend generally in parallel relationship, andwherein said lower bar and said opener body are joined at a lower,rearward joint, wherein the rotational axis of said opening disc extendsthrough the lower, rearward joint of said support assembly.
 14. Theagricultural implement of claim 13, wherein said rotational axis of saidopening disc of each ground-opening apparatus is presented by a spindleabout which said opening disc is configured to rotate.
 15. Theagricultural implement of claim 14, wherein each ground-openingapparatus further comprises: a gauge wheel for establishing a depth atwhich said opening disc excavates the ground to create the furrow; adepth-adjustment handle connected to said spindle and configured toadjust a relative position between said opening disc and said gaugewheel.
 16. The agricultural implement of claim 14, wherein said openerbody pivotally floats about said spindle.
 17. The agricultural implementof claim 13, wherein said support assembly comprises a four-bar linkageincluding said forward bar, said upper bar, said lower bar, and saidopener body, wherein only said upper bar and said lower bar of saidfour-bar linkage are secured to said opener body.
 18. A method offorming a furrow with an agricultural implement that includes at leastone ground-opening apparatus, said method comprising the steps of: (a)supporting the ground-opening apparatus by a support assembly thatincludes an upper bar, a lower bar, a forward bar, and an opener body,wherein the upper bar and the lower bar extend generally in parallelrelationship, and wherein the lower bar and the opener body are joinedat a lower, rearward joint; and (b) forming the furrow by excavating theground soil with an opening disc of the ground-opening apparatus,wherein the opening disc is configured to rotate about a rotational axisthat extends through a center of the opening disc, wherein therotational axis of the opening disc extends through the lower, rearwardjoint of the support assembly.
 19. The method of claim 18, wherein therotational axis of the opening disc is presented by a spindle aboutwhich the opening disc is configured to rotate, and wherein the methodfurther comprises the step of the opener body pivotally floating aboutthe spindle.
 20. The method of claim 18, wherein the ground-openingapparatus further comprises a gauge wheel for establishing a depth atwhich the opening disc excavates the ground to create the furrow, andwherein the method further comprises actuating a depth-adjustment handleconnected to a spindle so as to adjust a relative position between theopening disc and the gauge wheel.